Published: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 8:38 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 8:38 p.m.

A man was hospitalized Thursday night after the tractor-trailer he was driving left U.S. Highway 52 just short of a bridge and went airborne across West Center Street Extension before crashing into an embankment.

Davidson County Emergency Services personnel and firefighters with the West Lexington Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the one-vehicle accident at 7:14 p.m.

Lt. Alton Hanes, interim emergency management coordinator for Davidson County Emergency Services, said an Atlanta B.A.H. Express tractor-trailer was traveling southbound on U.S. 52 when it went right of the bridge over West Center Street Extension. The cab of the tractor-trailer went airborne about 150 feet, traveling over West Center Street Extension before it crashed into an embankment.

“That’s a pretty horrific ride,” Hanes said, adding there was a minor fuel leak from the crash.

Chris Wilson, assistant chief of the West Lexington Volunteer Fire Department, said the driver who is in his 40s suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. The driver was not pinned in and was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center by paramedics.

“(He was) very lucky,” Wilson said of the man’s injuries. “…We have seen a couple of tractor trailers off the bridge like that and it’s usually not a good thing.”

Wilson estimated the tractor-trailer driver was traveling 65-70 mph when he left the roadway. He said the tractor-trailer was carrying dog food, pillows and blankets. Wilson said the impact of the crash caused some of the dog food to spill out.

The cab of the tractor-trailer was a total loss, Wilson said.

Debbie Hedrick of Lexington was in her Volvo as she was traveling on West Center Street Extension toward N.C. Highway 150 when she saw the tractor-trailer go airborne. She was about 100 feet from the tractor-trailer when it crossed West Center Street Extension.

Hedrick, who was going home after making a grocery store run, immediately ran to the tractor-trailer and met another bystander. Both checked on the driver and learned the driver of the tractor-trailer was alive.

“It was traumatic,” Hedrick said of the accident. “I’m still shook over it. Just a few seconds under the bridge and it would have been on top of me. I don’t see how the man survived it. I have never seen anything like it before.”

Hedrick said she and her husband were in a wreck about three years ago that was life-threatening.

“It just brought traumatic memories of that because I was pinned in the car,” she said. “I was afraid that this man may be pinned in. I said we would have to get him out if that truck starts flaming.”

The driver of the tractor-trailer was able to talk to his wife by phone at the scene before he went to the hospital, she said.

“He appears to have really bad back injuries, but he was conscious and knew what was going on,” Hedrick said. “The other man was up in the cab with him talking to him, trying to keep him calm before help got here.”

Trooper J.J. Sherrill was on the scene investigating the crash. The driver’s name was not available Thursday night at press time. The cause of the crash also was unclear.

Both lanes of West Center Street Extension at U.S. Highway 52 were closed until 9:23 p.m., a spokeswoman with the Davidson County 911 Center said.

The Davidson County Rescue Squad also assisted emergency personnel at the scene.

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.

<p>A man was hospitalized Thursday night after the tractor-trailer he was driving left U.S. Highway 52 just short of a bridge and went airborne across West Center Street Extension before crashing into an embankment.</p><p>Davidson County Emergency Services personnel and firefighters with the West Lexington Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the one-vehicle accident at 7:14 p.m.</p><p>Lt. Alton Hanes, interim emergency management coordinator for Davidson County Emergency Services, said an Atlanta B.A.H. Express tractor-trailer was traveling southbound on U.S. 52 when it went right of the bridge over West Center Street Extension. The cab of the tractor-trailer went airborne about 150 feet, traveling over West Center Street Extension before it crashed into an embankment.</p><p>“That's a pretty horrific ride,” Hanes said, adding there was a minor fuel leak from the crash.</p><p>Chris Wilson, assistant chief of the West Lexington Volunteer Fire Department, said the driver who is in his 40s suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. The driver was not pinned in and was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center by paramedics.</p><p>“(He was) very lucky,” Wilson said of the man's injuries. “…We have seen a couple of tractor trailers off the bridge like that and it's usually not a good thing.”</p><p>Wilson estimated the tractor-trailer driver was traveling 65-70 mph when he left the roadway. He said the tractor-trailer was carrying dog food, pillows and blankets. Wilson said the impact of the crash caused some of the dog food to spill out.</p><p>The cab of the tractor-trailer was a total loss, Wilson said.</p><p>Debbie Hedrick of Lexington was in her Volvo as she was traveling on West Center Street Extension toward N.C. Highway 150 when she saw the tractor-trailer go airborne. She was about 100 feet from the tractor-trailer when it crossed West Center Street Extension.</p><p>Hedrick, who was going home after making a grocery store run, immediately ran to the tractor-trailer and met another bystander. Both checked on the driver and learned the driver of the tractor-trailer was alive.</p><p>“It was traumatic,” Hedrick said of the accident. “I'm still shook over it. Just a few seconds under the bridge and it would have been on top of me. I don't see how the man survived it. I have never seen anything like it before.”</p><p>Hedrick said she and her husband were in a wreck about three years ago that was life-threatening. </p><p>“It just brought traumatic memories of that because I was pinned in the car,” she said. “I was afraid that this man may be pinned in. I said we would have to get him out if that truck starts flaming.”</p><p>The driver of the tractor-trailer was able to talk to his wife by phone at the scene before he went to the hospital, she said.</p><p>“He appears to have really bad back injuries, but he was conscious and knew what was going on,” Hedrick said. “The other man was up in the cab with him talking to him, trying to keep him calm before help got here.”</p><p>Trooper J.J. Sherrill was on the scene investigating the crash. The driver's name was not available Thursday night at press time. The cause of the crash also was unclear.</p><p>Both lanes of West Center Street Extension at U.S. Highway 52 were closed until 9:23 p.m., a spokeswoman with the Davidson County 911 Center said.</p><p>The Davidson County Rescue Squad also assisted emergency personnel at the scene.</p><p>Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.</p>